Seeking Art in Science

Xenon Plasma Accelerator
The first-prize winner, this photo depicts an exhaust plume from a Hall Thruster, a propulsion system that uses plasma (ionized gas, such as xenon) instead of chemical fuel to power spacecraft for both near-Earth and deep-space travel. Researchers at Princeton have been interested in experimenting with the Hall Thruster, because space vehicles propelled by plasma require less fuel overall.

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